£75, 10k starting stacks on a 45 minute clock. Plenty of room for play in the main event. It didn't stop me seeing some horrific play though! I was leading the Player of the Series race, but I would love to get a nice score in the big one, where a little more money is on offer! Over 200 runners to get through - not easy. But I do have interest in the event, with £30 on myself at 150/1, and another £40 spread amongst other runners, one of whom being Tony, sat on my table, two to my right.
I'm on a high after the Omaha and Stud successes, and I start like a train, picking up 6 of the first 9 pots and boosting my stack by a not-insignificant 20%. I think I've probably solidified my table image pretty early on! In that time though, we see a hideously played pot. Blinds 25/50
UTG+1 opens to 300 with KK. UTG+3 raises to 800 with AA. Everyone else passes. Original raiser makes it 1800.
I love this last raise, he is able to get maximum information about his hand for the minimum. He has been allowed to do that though by the re-raiser. His raise is far too small for AA at a deep-stack table. He should be committing more chips pre-flop. It's far too easy for KQs, 78s, 44 etc to make an easy call with massive implied odds. I'd prefer him to raise to 1,300 or so, take some of those implied odds away, and pretty much rule out a re-raise for the other guy to find out where he is.
UTG+3 then makes it 3800. Alarm bells should be ringing here for the KK. The AA is hideously telegraphed, and I can honestly say it's the only situation I've seen where, hand on heart, I could lay down KK pre-flop, especially in a tournament this deep. I am certain of both their hands. It then goes from bad to worse. UTG+1 calls the extra 2,000, and with both have around 6.2k behind, they see a flop of 223.
KK, inexplicably, leads out for 5,000. AA makes a quick shove for 1,200 more, to be met with a TANK from KK. Obviously by now it's impossible to pass, and the AA holds up and is gifted a double up. Based on the action, he's lucky to have found a customer, as many players would not be so generous.
A previous APAT main event winner then hideously donks out. Blinds 75/150 - A raise to 450 on his button with KJo is met by a reraise to 1,350 from the rocky SB, who check-raises all-in on a J high flop with KK. The previous winner calls off his entire 30BB stack with top pair, 2nd kicker, against an out of position rock.
Meanwhile, I'm playing some great stuff. Raising with 33, I am called by said rock. Seeing a TT4 board, I lead out, only to get raised. Putting the rock on a solid pair, I am aware he can't call a 3-bet, so proceed to raise, and sure enough, he passes. The key hand (am pretty much guessing the details here, it's a bit hazy) is soon to develop with blinds 100/200. I cautiously limp AQs and smooth call a raise from the small blind. We see a J98 board, I smooth the c-bet with the intention of raising the turn. I carry this out on the turn 4s, which gives me a flush draw. My SB opponent calls, making the pot about 16k, I have only 4.5k left behind. The river pairs the 8, missing all my draws, and my opponent amazingly checks. I actually recoil, and gather my thoughts quick enough to shove - my only chance of winning the pot. The SB, getting 5 to 1, passes KK face up, and I show my A high. I'm a bit lucky, but the hand is bizarre. He convinced himself he was ahead on the turn, but changed his mind on the river. I was very grateful, as I was shoving, expecting to be receiving the exit round of applause.
I'm soon on a very strong 25k with 140 runners left, with the average being around 16k and blinds 400/800. A couple of new faces arrive at the table, one of which being Willis. My tournament however, is soon to be over within the space of a minute.
Hand 1:
I raise UTG to 2,400 with AQ. A new player in the SB smooth calls. Flop comes A99. He checks, there's no need for me to inflate the pot and announce my hand, so I check behind. The turn is a brick, and my opponent checks again. I bet 3,000, and receive a quick call. At the moment I'm putting him on something like AJ, or more likely a pair from TT-KK. I also think this is a similar range to what he's putting me on. The river is another blank, and again I'm checked to. I make a value bet of 4,000. Only to be snapped by the SB, holding J9o. Disgusting! How he hasn't got more out of me - I guess he's worried about my flop check, perhaps he thinks I hold Aces? But his pre-flop call against an UTG raiser is annoying, and I'm down to 12k.
Hand 2:
Willis raises in the cut-off to about 2,500 or so. Muppet from the previous hand calls on the button. Tony considers making a squeeze, but decides to pass (he's very glad when he sees my action). I look down at AKo, with the pot representing 60% of my stack, I have the easiest shove in the world. I try to make it look as tilty as possible, but that doesn't work when the original raiser has AA. Bugger. From 25k to out in 2 hands. Nothing I can do.
Out of 210 runners or so, the Southampton crew brought along 14 players. Despite my poor 142nd place exit, I'm still only outlasted by 3 others and none of them get anywhere near the cash. Not the best of tournaments for us!
I recieve consolation in the fact that none of my leaderboard opponents make the money, so I am confirmed as the Player of the Series! Score!
Wednesday 12 November 2008
WCOAP Stud Championship Review
Same structure as the Razz, but with only 32 runners, something that surprises me. Stud is by far and away the better game, and I was hoping to have a bigger field. It's definitely more enjoyable for me, and with it being the old powerhouse of poker I guess I'm a little surprised to see the tournament so light on runners.
As I've left it so very, very long to write this review, I've forgotten many things of note. The main thing that stands out is the standard of the play. It was very poor, especially in the early stages. A lot of people owed their existence in the tournament to horrific outdraws. As usual, I sat back and played tight, hoping to profit from these mistakes. I enter the first break pretty much on my starting stack. I'm just waiting to hit anything of note!
The second phase of the tournament goes much better. I begin to pick up big pairs, and managing to hit at least two pair by the river, which is most unusual for me! Again, no specific hands I remember, but I enter the second break as chip leader on my table, with 7,800. There are 21 left at this point and I'm well above the average.
I am able to attack the short stacks, and continue to pick up reasonable cards when needed. I enter the final table 2nd in chips:
Final Table
Seat 1 - Owen Rankin - 8,500
Seat 2 - Francis Lincoln - 7,200
Seat 3 - Don Roberts - 14,000
Seat 4 - David Rice - 12,500
Seat 5 - Robert Resurreccion - 7,600
Seat 6 - Charles Sanderson - 22,100
Seat 7 - Dave Howard - 17,500
Seat 8 - Richard Rudling-Smith - 4,700
The biggest mover on the final table was eventual winner Owen Rankin. He was fortunate in a couple of spots, hitting monster cards in big pots to propel him into the medal running along with myself and Charles Sanderson, who had played very solidly. We entered three handed with Owen on 16k, Charles on 43k, and me holding 37k.
The live updates are very sketchy at this point, and coupled by my lack of memory. I believe Owen Rankin does most of the damage in crippling and then eliminating Sanderson in 3rd. He's made his way up to 60k, playing very aggressively and hitting cards at the right time. He holds a 2 to 1 chip lead as we enter heads up.
I still felt like I was going to win, I was steadily clawing my way back, which included a massive bluff on the river, betting 8k with just 12k left behind with K high. Fortunately my board was scary as hell and I win a huge pot when Owen folds his solitary pair of 7s (I've missed K high straight and flush draws). I am soon holding a large chiplead, and have Owen down to the felt. I can't quite finish him off though, he survives with the best hand on one occasion, and then the key hand on the final that weakens my resolve occurs.
I bring in, holding [Kc Jc] 4c
Owen raises with [K 7] K and I call.
4th street brings me the Tc and Owen a brick. The money is 4-bet all-in, and the cards are flipped over, with me a 60:40 favourite holding 9 flush outs and the remaining K as an out, but behind to Owen's pair of Kings. 5th street gives Owen a brick and me the Ad, adding another 5 outs, but the board blanks out and catapults Owen to the chip lead.
That was my chance, I'm now about 3 to 1 down, and fail to put up much of a fight thereafter, exiting meekly when Owen wins a race. He played a ggressively, and is a lovely bloke, but I wish he didn't have a habit of picking up great cards and holding on when it was really needed! But that's the way you win a tournament!
UK Sharks review of this tournament can be found here.
APAT live updates are here.
WCOAP Razz Championship Review
£75, 48 runners. 3,000 starting chips.
I begin badly, attempting to bluff my way out of a hole first hand. This fails and I've quickly lost 20% of my stack. I am very nearly the first one out, before I hit a miracle 7th street card to save me. It only prolongs the inevitable, everyone outdrew me, and I couldn't outdraw anyone. I finish in 39th, but after the previous day, I'm hardly bothered.
Razz is shit anyway.
I begin badly, attempting to bluff my way out of a hole first hand. This fails and I've quickly lost 20% of my stack. I am very nearly the first one out, before I hit a miracle 7th street card to save me. It only prolongs the inevitable, everyone outdrew me, and I couldn't outdraw anyone. I finish in 39th, but after the previous day, I'm hardly bothered.
Razz is shit anyway.
Wednesday 3 September 2008
Monday 1 September 2008
WCOAP Omaha Championship Review
I'd joked to people that the only reason I'd entered all 4 events at the APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was to make a run at Player of the Series. In all honesty, I would be happy with a winning Series after expenses. 70 runners anted up £50 for 7,500 chips at 30 min blinds.
It didn't start too well, failing to win a pot for the first hour and seeing my stack fall to 5k. I thought the tone was set, when I raised the first pot with AKJJss, see a T92 two suit (not one of mine) board. That'll be a check-fold then.
It was slightly awkward with an aggressive and slightly vocal guy to my left, so I was planning on treading carefully. I don't believe LAG is the way to go in Omaha tournaments when so many of these players would be making post-flop mistakes. Add to that I'm just not good enough to play that style and I was intending to play like a rock. So of course an hour in I limp my button with Q992, flop bottom set and take my first pot.
Aside from those two hands, I really do not remember many hands. I didn't hit the nuts until the final table, never saw a wrap (even a 9 card semi-wrap) or a nut flush draw that I remember all tournie. How I chipped up, god knows, but I played a couple of excellent pots, getting maximum value from bottom two pair, and a 9-high flush. It was a confidence boost to know exactly where I was, and still able to bet out on the river into a turn caller with nowhere near the nuts!
It was one of those perfect tournaments. My stack gradually increased. If I did get it in behind, it was for 10% of my stack with KK65ss v AAxx, an 842Kx board sealed that deal. I didn't get all my chips over the line once until the FT, which is pretty amazing. I made moves at the right time, with the right hands, always found the right spots, check-raising pot with A-high against a recent 3rd place GUKPT finisher being a particular favourite. I guess because I failed to flop a single draw of any note I managed to avoid spunking chips all over the place...I'm sure there's a lesson in that somewhere!
People began to drop like flies, many of them on rather tenuous draws, even the players I'd marked out as good, maybe ill-timed moves, but I tried to stay clear of that temptation. I was folding many AKsT7 type hands aside from the occasional steal - have never played that nitty before! I was on the stacked table with around 12 players left, so I was glad to see a quick transition to the final table, where I drew a nice seat, to the left of Jim Lynott who had been quite aggressive once he'd obtained a large stack.
Final Table
Seat 1 - Linda Iwaniak - 130,500
Seat 2 - Rich Stevenons - 53,500
Seat 3 - Thomas Cardoso - 40,000
Seat 4 - Warren Jackman - 29,500
Seat 5 - Richard Bard - 42500
Seat 6 - Tony Ross - 26,500
Seat 7 - James Mitchell - 45,000
Seat 8 - Jim Lynott - 99,000
Seat 9 - Dave Howard - 55,000
It began quite badly, raising Tony Ross' UTG limp with KKTT no suit, to have the BB and UTG move all-in, with 20k to call for an 80-90k pot, I made the call and received no help v two loads of AAxx. Apparently I was a 30% shot to win, even with one of my Tens gone, though still not sure if I should've made the call. One of the marginal spots where a lack of real Omaha experience counted against me.
This left me with just 14k on the bubble. Now I'm not one to wait for the inevitable, so when Tony Ross raised UTG+1 to 12k, I looked down at JJ88ss and moved in for my 14k. The BB called (not sure he saw Tony's raise), as did Tony. A beautiful flop of K8x8x got me right back in it. A rollercoaster ride ensued, with me being the only player giving it a real go.
Winning is everything, second is nothing when it comes to my poker philosophy. I don't think that's a weakness, more a real strength that can give me a massive edge against some players.
I was looking to get in a position to have a shy at the title, so when Lynott limped in UTG+1 (very unusual for him, I definitely read this as weakness), I raised to 16k, with the intention of a go-and-go, with KQ55ss. I carried out my plan on a T96 board. He tanks and calls with QQxx before one of my nine outs, a beautiful Jack, lands on the river. This was definitely my only misstep in the tournament, I needed another 10k behind to really carry this out, but it put me back into a great position.
I stole my way up to around 90k when an irritating blind on blind hand ensued. Jim Lynott limped in on my BB, and I raised pot with KK95ss. The board comes A high and he check raises all in, back down to the 30k area, but at least by now we're in the money after James 'Worzel' Mitchell exits on the bubble. You'd usually feel sorry for the bubble boy, but he's just won 40 grand, so he can do with the extra 200 smackers I reckon.
After a good hour of 7-handed play - AFTER the bubble's burst - we lost the next 4 in quick succession, and I went to 3 handed play as the short stack with around 100k of the 520k in play. This was soon to change.
I raise the button with AAxx, Jim Lynott defends his BB and we see an AA6 flop. It's a bit too good for me to get paid! The flop is checked, and the turn is a 2. Lynott bets 30k, I smooth call with 76k behind. The river is another 6, Lynott value-bets his 22xx for 60k and is forced to call for the extra 17k. I am now chipleader and we are soon heads up when Lynott stakes his tournament life on a straight draw that cripples him when it fails to come in, as Linda Iwaniuk's pair of 5s hold up. He exits soon after, leaving myself heads up with Linda, approximately even in chips.
Linda has been playing her button very aggressively and often c-betting whilst the game has been shorthanded, so I'm looking for a spot to commit post flop if possible. I don't really want a £600 flip. I don't have to wait long, when my Ac4c smashes the KcTc8cXQc board against Linda's Jx clubs, giving me a 3 to 1 chip lead. I get my chance to knock her out with AK83 v 9986 but the 9s hold up to return us to even, when we agree to split the prize money equally. I do believe I had a decent edge, but I could not afford a 60-40 flip at best for £600, given her willingness to be aggressive pre-flop with medium pair holdings, so I'm still happy with this deal.
Linda ekes out a 2 to 1 chiplead, and we spin it up pre-flop with her AQT6 v my AJ98 opening up a myriad of possibilies on a QJ4 board, but the 9 on the turn puts me back in pole position. The final hand is soon after, as Linda raises to 30k again on her button, I smooth call with KQ52ss and check-raise pot against her c-bet on a Q96 2 spade board. I guess she feels priced in to call with JJ93 and the 10s falls on the turn to give me the pot, the win, and the title of World Amateur Omaha Champion!
UK Sharks Review can be found here.
APAT Live updates are here.
And my too-cockney/Essex-sounding interview!
WCOAP
Am running rather good. I think I'm on around a 60-70% final table rate in tournaments atm, including at least 5 wins (or chops) from 15 or so.
The APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was held in London from Wed 27th Aug to Sunday 31st. Running tournies with no juice, deep-stack, Omaha, Razz and Stud one day events, and a two day NLHE Main Event.
A quick summary:
Wed 27th. Omaha. 7,500 starting stack, 30 min blinds, 70 runners.
Finish - 1st. Dealt Heads Up for £1100 each and took the gold medal. 20 Player of the Series points.
Thur 28th. Razz. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increases, 48 runners.
Finish - 39th. Nearly first out. Shame really, never got above starting stack.
Fri 29th. Stud. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increaes, 32 runners.
Finish - 2nd. Took £500, unlucky not to win, but a silver medal as consolation with 17 POTS points.
Sat 30th. Hold Em. 10,000 starting stack, 40 min blinds, 206 runners.
Finish - 142nd. Was in a slightly gambley move, but ended up in two spots in consecutive hands where I couldn't do much bar lose my chips.
So I decided to head back on Sunday with the guys, no watching the final for me. After 5 days in Newcastle and another 5 in London with minimal sleep, I wisely chose to play the £150 Big One at Grosvenor Southampton after just a couple of hours relaxation. 7 hours later, a four-way chop and I'm £600 richer.
Anyway, just a small blog of updateness, will have a fuller report when I can be arsed - but hopefully before I forget key hands.
The APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was held in London from Wed 27th Aug to Sunday 31st. Running tournies with no juice, deep-stack, Omaha, Razz and Stud one day events, and a two day NLHE Main Event.
A quick summary:
Wed 27th. Omaha. 7,500 starting stack, 30 min blinds, 70 runners.
Finish - 1st. Dealt Heads Up for £1100 each and took the gold medal. 20 Player of the Series points.
Thur 28th. Razz. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increases, 48 runners.
Finish - 39th. Nearly first out. Shame really, never got above starting stack.
Fri 29th. Stud. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increaes, 32 runners.
Finish - 2nd. Took £500, unlucky not to win, but a silver medal as consolation with 17 POTS points.
Sat 30th. Hold Em. 10,000 starting stack, 40 min blinds, 206 runners.
Finish - 142nd. Was in a slightly gambley move, but ended up in two spots in consecutive hands where I couldn't do much bar lose my chips.
So I decided to head back on Sunday with the guys, no watching the final for me. After 5 days in Newcastle and another 5 in London with minimal sleep, I wisely chose to play the £150 Big One at Grosvenor Southampton after just a couple of hours relaxation. 7 hours later, a four-way chop and I'm £600 richer.
Anyway, just a small blog of updateness, will have a fuller report when I can be arsed - but hopefully before I forget key hands.
Saturday 16 August 2008
World Poker Open
Boy, I'd love to play if one of these 6-max shootouts. Some of these relatively well known pros - what are they thinking?
5 handed at 5k/10k, Robin Keston raises UTG to 25k with AcJc. Mick McCool is sitting on the button with TT. Now obviously these shows are heavily edited (craply, I must add, why show a non-entity of a hand where Channing limps 78s, Tyler checks 94o. The action goes check, check, check, bet, fold - wtf?!), so there is the possibility of play we've missed which may account for the actions here.
Keston's stack is short, no more than 130k iirc. McCool has 180-190k I believe and Channing and Josh Tyler to act behind him. 5 handed without exceptional information there is no way McCool is passing his TT, but he somehow finds a smooth call here. Now it's not a great spot granted, but raising is by far and away the lesser of two evils. It is staggering to think that Keston is suddenly going to lose interest in the pot with 65k in it, with only the winner progressing. Position is irrelevant and aggression is everything here. He moves all-in dark (I like it, doesn't alter the hand dramatically, but has the chance of screwing with McCool's mind) and McCool passes on a K9x 2 club flop. How he can call pre and then fold post-flop, I don't know. What does he want to see? It's a pretty decent flop!
These tournaments are crapshoots from the sounds of things, McCool has no option but to ship it in with his TT and put the decision back on Keston. He's not passing, so it's raise or call, and it's clear to me which option is better.
The other one was one of the last hands. Blinds are stupid, 10k/20k, Channing has 260k, Tyler 340k. Tyler raises to 100k with KQ. I'm don't like this.
- If Channing folds, fine. He's taken the blinds. Fine
- If Channing holds a weak/mediocre hand. He'll pass, can't possibly make Tyler fold, it's a scared raise, it's begging for an all-in pre.
- If Channing holds a strong hand, he'll move all in. Tyler will have to call. Not terrible, if I'm up against someone better than me, I'll take a shot with KQ here.
- If Channing chooses to make a move with a stop n go, Tyler will need to hit, or he will find it near impossible to continue. There was a comment in commentary about Channing getting the upper hand, so perhaps Tyler had been sitting back a bit. If he misses and Channing shoves, he can't call with K high.
Imo, a raise to 60k opens up more possibilities. Channing could shove with a wider range, believing he has more fold equity, as stated, I'll take a shot with KQ here, so I don't mind that. He could call with a wide range and look to outplay Tyler. With a hand that plays well post-flop, I like that option too. Should Tyler miss, he's lost 40k less.
Of course Channing throws a spanner in the works and just smooth calls. I would think he's intending a stop n go with Tyler apparently clamming up during the end game - who knows, shite editing. It's a nasty spot, I don't like making a move with A9 here, but I wouldn't expect him to pass, and if he intends to bang the flop he can't really do too much else. The board is 983 and he now checks. Tyler inexplicably moves in with his K-high. Channing has smooth called 40% of his stack pre and then checked a 9-high board. Do you really think he's folding?! You check behind, pray you hit, and if you don't, scold yourself for making a rubbish, scared pre-flop raise. Channing obviously snap calls and wins.
I can only think that some of the bigger names have old habits ingrained. Like making use of position, position and position in McCool's case, and in Channing's case, not getting it all-in pre-flop in a race for your tournament life when you have an edge. Channing doesn't have much of an option. Whereas the youngster seems to have taken the aggression thing too far, and lost his cool when the going got tough.
Two pretty elementary mistakes. Pretty much leads to both being eliminated. Boy would I love a shot at one of these.
5 handed at 5k/10k, Robin Keston raises UTG to 25k with AcJc. Mick McCool is sitting on the button with TT. Now obviously these shows are heavily edited (craply, I must add, why show a non-entity of a hand where Channing limps 78s, Tyler checks 94o. The action goes check, check, check, bet, fold - wtf?!), so there is the possibility of play we've missed which may account for the actions here.
Keston's stack is short, no more than 130k iirc. McCool has 180-190k I believe and Channing and Josh Tyler to act behind him. 5 handed without exceptional information there is no way McCool is passing his TT, but he somehow finds a smooth call here. Now it's not a great spot granted, but raising is by far and away the lesser of two evils. It is staggering to think that Keston is suddenly going to lose interest in the pot with 65k in it, with only the winner progressing. Position is irrelevant and aggression is everything here. He moves all-in dark (I like it, doesn't alter the hand dramatically, but has the chance of screwing with McCool's mind) and McCool passes on a K9x 2 club flop. How he can call pre and then fold post-flop, I don't know. What does he want to see? It's a pretty decent flop!
These tournaments are crapshoots from the sounds of things, McCool has no option but to ship it in with his TT and put the decision back on Keston. He's not passing, so it's raise or call, and it's clear to me which option is better.
The other one was one of the last hands. Blinds are stupid, 10k/20k, Channing has 260k, Tyler 340k. Tyler raises to 100k with KQ. I'm don't like this.
- If Channing folds, fine. He's taken the blinds. Fine
- If Channing holds a weak/mediocre hand. He'll pass, can't possibly make Tyler fold, it's a scared raise, it's begging for an all-in pre.
- If Channing holds a strong hand, he'll move all in. Tyler will have to call. Not terrible, if I'm up against someone better than me, I'll take a shot with KQ here.
- If Channing chooses to make a move with a stop n go, Tyler will need to hit, or he will find it near impossible to continue. There was a comment in commentary about Channing getting the upper hand, so perhaps Tyler had been sitting back a bit. If he misses and Channing shoves, he can't call with K high.
Imo, a raise to 60k opens up more possibilities. Channing could shove with a wider range, believing he has more fold equity, as stated, I'll take a shot with KQ here, so I don't mind that. He could call with a wide range and look to outplay Tyler. With a hand that plays well post-flop, I like that option too. Should Tyler miss, he's lost 40k less.
Of course Channing throws a spanner in the works and just smooth calls. I would think he's intending a stop n go with Tyler apparently clamming up during the end game - who knows, shite editing. It's a nasty spot, I don't like making a move with A9 here, but I wouldn't expect him to pass, and if he intends to bang the flop he can't really do too much else. The board is 983 and he now checks. Tyler inexplicably moves in with his K-high. Channing has smooth called 40% of his stack pre and then checked a 9-high board. Do you really think he's folding?! You check behind, pray you hit, and if you don't, scold yourself for making a rubbish, scared pre-flop raise. Channing obviously snap calls and wins.
I can only think that some of the bigger names have old habits ingrained. Like making use of position, position and position in McCool's case, and in Channing's case, not getting it all-in pre-flop in a race for your tournament life when you have an edge. Channing doesn't have much of an option. Whereas the youngster seems to have taken the aggression thing too far, and lost his cool when the going got tough.
Two pretty elementary mistakes. Pretty much leads to both being eliminated. Boy would I love a shot at one of these.
Saturday 9 August 2008
And another thing...
I've even managed to flop quads...and get paid, twice in less than 24 hours. Not even online too. The run is definitely over!
Cash, raise with KQ, several callers. Flop KKK. I get all the chips from 33...somehow.
And then in the Wednesday tournament. Am involved with 88 and see a T88 two spade board. The beautiful As peels off after the flop is checked, and the money flies in on the river against KsXs. Not something my opponent would normally do, but he was on tilt!
Cash, raise with KQ, several callers. Flop KKK. I get all the chips from 33...somehow.
And then in the Wednesday tournament. Am involved with 88 and see a T88 two spade board. The beautiful As peels off after the flop is checked, and the money flies in on the river against KsXs. Not something my opponent would normally do, but he was on tilt!
Wooooooo
See the date of the previous post? Early June...
That's because I have fuck all to report, apart from the coldest streak of my life.
2 months without a final table, with people doing their very best to out-do the current 'worst bad beat I've ever suffered' champion.
New entry, in 2nd place:
Wednesday £50 comp.
With 14k (one of the chipleaders) and blinds 200/400 I raise the button to 1200 with AA. Rik in the BB is well aware of my aggressive rep, and reraises to 3700. Sticking in a reraise gives the game away, so I just smooth call in position, expecting him to fire on the flop.
Flop J 6 2 rainbow
What a flop, and Rik leads out 4000, I move all-in for his last 3k or so. He comments 'I don't want to play this comp with 3000' and calls with T9o.
Turn 9
River T
Bah, argh, soapytitwankcuntbollocks.
Anyway, it's been stuff like that for 2 months, I have no problem getting a stack - just keeping it. Finding hideous spots against the worst players with my tournament life continually on the line. I'm sure I can't do anything any differently, I'm sure I'm making the correct long term decisions - I will take a +EV gamble if it puts me into a dominant position.
Anyway, 2 weeks ago, the tide began to turn. I wasn't experiencing any bad beats! The big problem is that I was either getting fuck all hands to get bad beated with, or getting hideously cold-decked when monster stacked.
£10 rebuy, 1k starting stack, 90 mins in I've built it to a massive 23k. No-one else has more than 1800. I promptly get other stacks all-in or committed against me 7 times. One is a 6 way pot where I'm racing on the side and pretty unavoidable given my chip position. The other 6 times I am significantly ahead (AQ twice and AT v A6, 6 hits twice and flush once. Q4 v AK on QJJ board, 88 v K9 etc etc) and lose 5 of them. I go to the break with 'just' 14k.
It gets built to 18k, before James Bagley raises to 1200 with blinds 200,400. He has 9k or so. A weak-tight old fella calls from the CO, he has 14k. With odds in the BB with 86o it's an easy call for me.
Flop 6c 6d 3c
I've checked dark, and I plan on betting most turns.
Turn Ah
Not that one, I check, Bagley fires 1600, old fella smooths, I repop to 7600. Bagley folds and Villain moves in. He is seriously bad enough to go broke here with AJ type hands. But he has A6 - of course. Gah. I am crippled and soon out.
Anyway, Sunday 2nd I made a final table! I did only manage 9th after isolating the short stacks shove with KQ, I make trip Ks but he hits a flush with his bare Jh. A7 is soon smashed by TT which sets up on the flop. But it's a final, the tide had been ready to turn for a couple of weeks. Was still feeling good about my game and online had kept me afloat.
Wednesday though, I finally got a slice of luck in one of my customary hideous spots (AQ cracking KK) and although I was unlucky not to win heads up, a slight deal meant I took £500 for 2nd, overturning a 10 to 1 chip deficit at one point, gaining the chip lead and getting the money in on the turn as a 2 to 1 favourite against a player who'd won 7 out of his last 9 tournaments. I'd have taken that at the start and after a rocky midgame.
That's because I have fuck all to report, apart from the coldest streak of my life.
2 months without a final table, with people doing their very best to out-do the current 'worst bad beat I've ever suffered' champion.
New entry, in 2nd place:
Wednesday £50 comp.
With 14k (one of the chipleaders) and blinds 200/400 I raise the button to 1200 with AA. Rik in the BB is well aware of my aggressive rep, and reraises to 3700. Sticking in a reraise gives the game away, so I just smooth call in position, expecting him to fire on the flop.
Flop J 6 2 rainbow
What a flop, and Rik leads out 4000, I move all-in for his last 3k or so. He comments 'I don't want to play this comp with 3000' and calls with T9o.
Turn 9
River T
Bah, argh, soapytitwankcuntbollocks.
Anyway, it's been stuff like that for 2 months, I have no problem getting a stack - just keeping it. Finding hideous spots against the worst players with my tournament life continually on the line. I'm sure I can't do anything any differently, I'm sure I'm making the correct long term decisions - I will take a +EV gamble if it puts me into a dominant position.
Anyway, 2 weeks ago, the tide began to turn. I wasn't experiencing any bad beats! The big problem is that I was either getting fuck all hands to get bad beated with, or getting hideously cold-decked when monster stacked.
£10 rebuy, 1k starting stack, 90 mins in I've built it to a massive 23k. No-one else has more than 1800. I promptly get other stacks all-in or committed against me 7 times. One is a 6 way pot where I'm racing on the side and pretty unavoidable given my chip position. The other 6 times I am significantly ahead (AQ twice and AT v A6, 6 hits twice and flush once. Q4 v AK on QJJ board, 88 v K9 etc etc) and lose 5 of them. I go to the break with 'just' 14k.
It gets built to 18k, before James Bagley raises to 1200 with blinds 200,400. He has 9k or so. A weak-tight old fella calls from the CO, he has 14k. With odds in the BB with 86o it's an easy call for me.
Flop 6c 6d 3c
I've checked dark, and I plan on betting most turns.
Turn Ah
Not that one, I check, Bagley fires 1600, old fella smooths, I repop to 7600. Bagley folds and Villain moves in. He is seriously bad enough to go broke here with AJ type hands. But he has A6 - of course. Gah. I am crippled and soon out.
Anyway, Sunday 2nd I made a final table! I did only manage 9th after isolating the short stacks shove with KQ, I make trip Ks but he hits a flush with his bare Jh. A7 is soon smashed by TT which sets up on the flop. But it's a final, the tide had been ready to turn for a couple of weeks. Was still feeling good about my game and online had kept me afloat.
Wednesday though, I finally got a slice of luck in one of my customary hideous spots (AQ cracking KK) and although I was unlucky not to win heads up, a slight deal meant I took £500 for 2nd, overturning a 10 to 1 chip deficit at one point, gaining the chip lead and getting the money in on the turn as a 2 to 1 favourite against a player who'd won 7 out of his last 9 tournaments. I'd have taken that at the start and after a rocky midgame.
Monday 2 June 2008
Lady Luck's Anal Rapeage
Man, what a weekend.
Saturday - Play atrociously in the tenner rebuy, get one big piece of luck, no difficult decisions, chop heads up for £800.
Sunday - Play well in the £150 freezeout and perfectly in cash. Get all-in bad twice in 10 hours - neither occasion avoidable. Net result - probably £1200 less than deserved.
Tournament :
I raise with AJ, KQ reshoves, I call, flop JT9
8 left, a chop is pretty imminent, BB misses a chance to knock out the short stack on the button after I flat call his shove from the SB. As a result am forced to shove from the button with A6, and BB calls for a large percentage of his chips with K9. I need chips to be a factor in any deal-making, so this pisses me off when they chop 7 way about 5 minutes later. I take £310 for 8th. The rest take £885 minimum.
Then cash (50p/50p):
AK v 66 all-in pre after my limp re-raise, the pair falls to the only person on the table who would be able to get all my chips. £150 coinflip.
Miss nut flush on flop and additional nut gutshot draw from turn. Potential £80 pot.
Raise with 65 to £2, called by blinds, flop 753. SB bets £4. I call, turn 4. SB bets £10, I raise to £25. SB calls, river 6. SB has Q7 and hits his 3 outer to split, or I take a £140 pot.
UTG Mr Willis tilt straddles to £10, Chris reraises to £40 with AK, I shove in £130 with KK. UTG calls dark. Board Q654T, UTG has 73 in a £190 pot.
3rd last hand, I straddle to £2, Willis straddles to £10, folded around to my ATs, I announce raise and am met with an all-in before I can announce the amount. I call and am smashed up by Q9 on a K7658 board for a £150 pot.
That's a potential £1500+ swing. Not amused.
Saturday - Play atrociously in the tenner rebuy, get one big piece of luck, no difficult decisions, chop heads up for £800.
Sunday - Play well in the £150 freezeout and perfectly in cash. Get all-in bad twice in 10 hours - neither occasion avoidable. Net result - probably £1200 less than deserved.
Tournament :
I raise with AJ, KQ reshoves, I call, flop JT9
8 left, a chop is pretty imminent, BB misses a chance to knock out the short stack on the button after I flat call his shove from the SB. As a result am forced to shove from the button with A6, and BB calls for a large percentage of his chips with K9. I need chips to be a factor in any deal-making, so this pisses me off when they chop 7 way about 5 minutes later. I take £310 for 8th. The rest take £885 minimum.
Then cash (50p/50p):
AK v 66 all-in pre after my limp re-raise, the pair falls to the only person on the table who would be able to get all my chips. £150 coinflip.
Miss nut flush on flop and additional nut gutshot draw from turn. Potential £80 pot.
Raise with 65 to £2, called by blinds, flop 753. SB bets £4. I call, turn 4. SB bets £10, I raise to £25. SB calls, river 6. SB has Q7 and hits his 3 outer to split, or I take a £140 pot.
UTG Mr Willis tilt straddles to £10, Chris reraises to £40 with AK, I shove in £130 with KK. UTG calls dark. Board Q654T, UTG has 73 in a £190 pot.
3rd last hand, I straddle to £2, Willis straddles to £10, folded around to my ATs, I announce raise and am met with an all-in before I can announce the amount. I call and am smashed up by Q9 on a K7658 board for a £150 pot.
That's a potential £1500+ swing. Not amused.
Friday 30 May 2008
Chris, you bastard
Just to remind me (should I ever need reminding).
Myself and Chris have a 10% agreement in any tournament we both play in. Let's just say to date he's done a bit better from this deal than I have so far...
Of course, Mr Webber delivers his best ever casino result the day before an exam, when I'm not there.
You bastard.
But congrats!
Myself and Chris have a 10% agreement in any tournament we both play in. Let's just say to date he's done a bit better from this deal than I have so far...
Of course, Mr Webber delivers his best ever casino result the day before an exam, when I'm not there.
You bastard.
But congrats!
Shame, Vegas and Procrastination
Shame: I spelt Optimistic wrong, and the blog was shit. It really was, so am shunting it down with this long overdue effort.
Procrastination: I should be revising, got a freaking exam at 9:30am tomorrow (that's a Saturday) - and I still need to learn the course, but just can't concentrate at the moment.
But Vegas, baby, has been over two months since I've returned. I finished a tidy $2.5k up, but was very disappointed that it wasn't more.
It started so well, after driving down with two friends from San Franciso, I decided to take a walk down the strip to check out the poker rooms and get some info. I stumbled into Planet Hollywood at 6:58pm with their $60 freeze starting in two minutes. I got the second-last ticket, and outlasted the other 98 runners to take down a $1400 payday before the poker was even supposed to start!
It meant I didn't have to make a single withdrawal from my account for the rest of my time there. Helped by winning two of my next three tournaments and FTing the other (won $65 Caesars Palace for $800, 4th in PH $60 - about $140 for that - and then 1st at PH for about $450).
I'm sure the eagle-eyed have noticed that would make my winnings $2.8k already, or about $2.5k profit after buy-ins. It didn't go too well after that. I'm not a cash game player, but I was card dead. The deck hit me in the face in tournaments (in an hour period I hit quads twice and flopped two straights, one with a nut flush redraw, getting paid off each time), and in cash games I could go 8 hours whilst seeing just 4 top 10% hands and having to lay down the best, QQ, to a pre-flop limp re-raise. I tried to play tight, but I just didn't hit a thing. I had a couple of good sessions, but broke-even at best over the trip.
One highlight was FTing the $10k guarantee (they took >15k) at Binions on my first ever trip there, until my chip leading dominance was derailed by a complete monkey:
I've already cold-decked someone else in the extreme to give me the chip lead with around 30 players left of the 156 that started. With blinds at 100/200, UTG (~8k) raises to 600, folded to me in the BB with 33 (I have around 11k). I call and check the flop dark. I don't look at the flop and just stare at him, he looks at me and checks behind. I glance back.
The flop's AA3 - with his check I have him!
Turn.....3
So naturally I bet 1600 into the 1300 pot with quads. He flat calls. I am now 1000% certain he has an A.
River J
I bet 3k, he grabs a large stack of his chips and just sticks them over the line. I move all-in for his last k or so. He calls and flips AJ. Hehehe!
Anyway, back to the situation in the last 30. Blinds are 600/1200. BB has been quiet, and is moaning with his last 3400 chips, and says to me he's going in no matter what. I don't think anyone else was paying attention. I'm UTG with AJ and raise to 3600 (my stack is approx 35k). It's folded round to the SB, who calls (he's an absolute donkey, with 25k or so he's jammed off me, with A8s v A8s. I've also had people shove into me, giving me 3:1 odds, with Q7o and A9o, needless to say I didn't win either of those, anyway, the standard is poor).
BB keeps his word and moves all-in. The pot is 10,200 with 400 more on the side.
Flop JJ4 two diamonds. I'm happy to take it down here and bet 4k into the dry side pot. This should be a massive warning sign! SB calls.
Turn 2d. Great, flush draw down, he checks, I check behind.
River Td. 4 diamonds now, he grabs 10k and sticks it in, I insta-pass in disgust and he shows AK with just the Kd. Well done, idiot. He's chip leader now but doesn't even make the money (top 18).
I drift along to the final, no able to pick anything big up, and go out in 7th despite sucking out on AQ with T3. I can't repeat the trick with J7. They chop 5 way as well, so my $400 could've been $2k. Argh.
Got very bored of poker after a week, which didn't help me play my best game. Sitting down at the Mirage with $200, only to lose it all first hand with set over set doesn't help. But on one notable occasion the deck ran my way.
Planet Hollywood $1/$2, 9 handed.
I'm BB, and it has been straddled to $4. UTG +1 calls (he seems tight, relatively weak, but not going to be playing trash). Someone in MP calls, as does the Button (no info) and me with 7h5h.
Flop 6d 8c 8h
There is a tendancy to overbet in Vegas, and I fancy seeing a cheap turn, so chuck out $5. EP player and Button both flat call.
Turn 9h
Woo, I turn the straight, and am immediately putting EP on an 8, and he's also shown no tendancy to play suited connectors, he's a high card guy. Not sure about the button, but I think I'm likely to have the best hand here.
Then chaos. I bet $20. EP min-raises to $40. Button raises to $105. Now I'm flummoxed, but don't believe either player would be raising with a full house on this kind of board, so I flat call hoping to bring EP and his A8-type hand along too, believe the button has a similar hand.
EP reraises to $210. Button moves all in for $170 total and the decision is back on me. EP has about $80 behind. I decide to talk to them, saying neither would raise with the boat, so I think my hand is good. Neither of them look comfortable, and when I push all in, the disappointment on EPs face is apparent as he pushes his final $80 in, feeling he's pot committed. Button turns to me and says 'Have you got a full house?' and tables T7 - ouch, didn't put him on that. My read on EP is spot on as he shows A8.
River 2h
Ship it!
Other than that, I am pottering along nicely both live and online. I've stopped the cash for a while, as I'm not playing well in it. The tournaments are going well, I feel like I'm outplaying people at will and only continued bad beats and cold-deckings are preventing me from more frequent and bigger scores. Despite this, I am slightly up over the last month live.
Online, I have discovered the 45 man Full Tilt $26 SNGs. They're juicy! 18 tournaments, 2 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds and a fourth. Again, various suckouts are crippling me even in these, KK v TT three times for example! The luck is well in the negative column, but with my ROI at 152% and my online ranking up to 21,000 or so, I can live with it.
It's just a bit frustrating when you know there's so much more on offer. I can't win a race to save my life, but I can't even win one in two when I've built a dominant chip position.
Consecutive hands, short stack shove with AKs, I call with QQ, he flops the nuts, I turn the set, miss the boat. Next hand, he shoves again with QQ, I reshove with AKs, obviously the QQ hold up this time! It costs me half my stack!
FT on Grosvenor Wed tournie. I lose a race with AK v 77 3 handed for 90% of the chips in play, then about 10 mins later, another race with AK v 88 for 70% of the chips.
16 people left in the £150 Freeze in Southampton, after being card dead and winning 5 pots all night, I shove 9k in with QQ, get two callers, the blinds. I win the pot I am up to 3rd and one of the favourites for a £3.5k payday. They both flip AK, so I'm a 3:1 fave. Obviously the A flops.
Moaning over. I'm still winning. And if the luck goes my way too, I'll be disappointing a lot of people at final tables!
Procrastination: I should be revising, got a freaking exam at 9:30am tomorrow (that's a Saturday) - and I still need to learn the course, but just can't concentrate at the moment.
But Vegas, baby, has been over two months since I've returned. I finished a tidy $2.5k up, but was very disappointed that it wasn't more.
It started so well, after driving down with two friends from San Franciso, I decided to take a walk down the strip to check out the poker rooms and get some info. I stumbled into Planet Hollywood at 6:58pm with their $60 freeze starting in two minutes. I got the second-last ticket, and outlasted the other 98 runners to take down a $1400 payday before the poker was even supposed to start!
It meant I didn't have to make a single withdrawal from my account for the rest of my time there. Helped by winning two of my next three tournaments and FTing the other (won $65 Caesars Palace for $800, 4th in PH $60 - about $140 for that - and then 1st at PH for about $450).
I'm sure the eagle-eyed have noticed that would make my winnings $2.8k already, or about $2.5k profit after buy-ins. It didn't go too well after that. I'm not a cash game player, but I was card dead. The deck hit me in the face in tournaments (in an hour period I hit quads twice and flopped two straights, one with a nut flush redraw, getting paid off each time), and in cash games I could go 8 hours whilst seeing just 4 top 10% hands and having to lay down the best, QQ, to a pre-flop limp re-raise. I tried to play tight, but I just didn't hit a thing. I had a couple of good sessions, but broke-even at best over the trip.
One highlight was FTing the $10k guarantee (they took >15k) at Binions on my first ever trip there, until my chip leading dominance was derailed by a complete monkey:
I've already cold-decked someone else in the extreme to give me the chip lead with around 30 players left of the 156 that started. With blinds at 100/200, UTG (~8k) raises to 600, folded to me in the BB with 33 (I have around 11k). I call and check the flop dark. I don't look at the flop and just stare at him, he looks at me and checks behind. I glance back.
The flop's AA3 - with his check I have him!
Turn.....3
So naturally I bet 1600 into the 1300 pot with quads. He flat calls. I am now 1000% certain he has an A.
River J
I bet 3k, he grabs a large stack of his chips and just sticks them over the line. I move all-in for his last k or so. He calls and flips AJ. Hehehe!
Anyway, back to the situation in the last 30. Blinds are 600/1200. BB has been quiet, and is moaning with his last 3400 chips, and says to me he's going in no matter what. I don't think anyone else was paying attention. I'm UTG with AJ and raise to 3600 (my stack is approx 35k). It's folded round to the SB, who calls (he's an absolute donkey, with 25k or so he's jammed off me, with A8s v A8s. I've also had people shove into me, giving me 3:1 odds, with Q7o and A9o, needless to say I didn't win either of those, anyway, the standard is poor).
BB keeps his word and moves all-in. The pot is 10,200 with 400 more on the side.
Flop JJ4 two diamonds. I'm happy to take it down here and bet 4k into the dry side pot. This should be a massive warning sign! SB calls.
Turn 2d. Great, flush draw down, he checks, I check behind.
River Td. 4 diamonds now, he grabs 10k and sticks it in, I insta-pass in disgust and he shows AK with just the Kd. Well done, idiot. He's chip leader now but doesn't even make the money (top 18).
I drift along to the final, no able to pick anything big up, and go out in 7th despite sucking out on AQ with T3. I can't repeat the trick with J7. They chop 5 way as well, so my $400 could've been $2k. Argh.
Got very bored of poker after a week, which didn't help me play my best game. Sitting down at the Mirage with $200, only to lose it all first hand with set over set doesn't help. But on one notable occasion the deck ran my way.
Planet Hollywood $1/$2, 9 handed.
I'm BB, and it has been straddled to $4. UTG +1 calls (he seems tight, relatively weak, but not going to be playing trash). Someone in MP calls, as does the Button (no info) and me with 7h5h.
Flop 6d 8c 8h
There is a tendancy to overbet in Vegas, and I fancy seeing a cheap turn, so chuck out $5. EP player and Button both flat call.
Turn 9h
Woo, I turn the straight, and am immediately putting EP on an 8, and he's also shown no tendancy to play suited connectors, he's a high card guy. Not sure about the button, but I think I'm likely to have the best hand here.
Then chaos. I bet $20. EP min-raises to $40. Button raises to $105. Now I'm flummoxed, but don't believe either player would be raising with a full house on this kind of board, so I flat call hoping to bring EP and his A8-type hand along too, believe the button has a similar hand.
EP reraises to $210. Button moves all in for $170 total and the decision is back on me. EP has about $80 behind. I decide to talk to them, saying neither would raise with the boat, so I think my hand is good. Neither of them look comfortable, and when I push all in, the disappointment on EPs face is apparent as he pushes his final $80 in, feeling he's pot committed. Button turns to me and says 'Have you got a full house?' and tables T7 - ouch, didn't put him on that. My read on EP is spot on as he shows A8.
River 2h
Ship it!
Other than that, I am pottering along nicely both live and online. I've stopped the cash for a while, as I'm not playing well in it. The tournaments are going well, I feel like I'm outplaying people at will and only continued bad beats and cold-deckings are preventing me from more frequent and bigger scores. Despite this, I am slightly up over the last month live.
Online, I have discovered the 45 man Full Tilt $26 SNGs. They're juicy! 18 tournaments, 2 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds and a fourth. Again, various suckouts are crippling me even in these, KK v TT three times for example! The luck is well in the negative column, but with my ROI at 152% and my online ranking up to 21,000 or so, I can live with it.
It's just a bit frustrating when you know there's so much more on offer. I can't win a race to save my life, but I can't even win one in two when I've built a dominant chip position.
Consecutive hands, short stack shove with AKs, I call with QQ, he flops the nuts, I turn the set, miss the boat. Next hand, he shoves again with QQ, I reshove with AKs, obviously the QQ hold up this time! It costs me half my stack!
FT on Grosvenor Wed tournie. I lose a race with AK v 77 3 handed for 90% of the chips in play, then about 10 mins later, another race with AK v 88 for 70% of the chips.
16 people left in the £150 Freeze in Southampton, after being card dead and winning 5 pots all night, I shove 9k in with QQ, get two callers, the blinds. I win the pot I am up to 3rd and one of the favourites for a £3.5k payday. They both flip AK, so I'm a 3:1 fave. Obviously the A flops.
Moaning over. I'm still winning. And if the luck goes my way too, I'll be disappointing a lot of people at final tables!
Wednesday 20 February 2008
Upbeat and Optomistic
Following on from the below post. Myself and Chris have played in the sickest cash game we've been in to date. After outlasting Chris (again) at the £10 Harbour Rebuy, aided by some rubbish (think it was 98s) v AK saved by a full house on the board, and then A3 hitting running 3s v AJ. 11th and 12th for us, a little money for the final table bubble for me, plus Chris' £10 for our ongoing last longer!
We decided to start a 50p/50p NLHE cash game with a few other runners and a certain rich gambler named Mo. My first buy in was cracked by a 3 outer, and then another £60 died by way of a 5 outer, both on the river. So I brought the £100 chip I had in my wallet to the table. About an hour later I'd chipped up to a respectable £215, as Mo was generally playing rather loose and aggressive to put it mildly, with massive over raises, and calling down with anything. We were distinctly moist at the thought of this cash game continuing.
It got to the point where myself and Chris (I'm usually psycho-aggressive, and Chris is rather LAGgy too) are playing weak, tight, passive poker pre-flop. On one occasion I limp for £2 pre-flop (there's been alot of straddling) with KQ. Mo raises to something like £10-20, it's pretty irrelevant, but I call, to see a beautiful QQJ board. I make a small bet, only to be reraised all-in by Mo. The immense relief when I see his AJ is drawing to running Aces or Jacks is overwhelming, and I rake in a £430 odd pot.
The game is sick, we're eventually 4 handed with over £2k on the table, for a 50p/50p game! I've never lost a £250 pot with K8, on an A high board - and not even blinked. I lose a few pots, before getting my chips all-in on the last hand with AK. I reraise Mo half his stack (about £60), he calls, and I push the flop dark, he calls for another £70 or so. He doesn't turn his cards over, so seeing a beautiful Ace of clubs on the turn is a massive relief, a J on the river is irrelevant as he shows QJ. My AK takes the last pot of the night, worth around £250.
Running good continues, a final table Harbour the following weekend for £250 and win the Grosvenor Sunday tournament the following night for £410. UNfortunately, since then, the wheels have come off a bit. Playing a Wednesday cash game in the wrong frame of mind has really killed me, a couple of bad Monday rebuy tournaments has cost me around £400, punctuated by a £160 cash game profit, where again I played pretty badly but got lucky in one key hand, then redeemed myself in monster pots against Seb and Tony.
Having said that, playing terribly, I've still gone deep in 3 recent tournaments I've played, it's taken bad luck to knock me out. AT v KQ, QJ v 96 on a Q65 board are two that come to mind.
I've generally had an awful week of running bad, I've been one outered 3 times this week, 225 board, A2 v K2 v T5, case 5 hits the river. J8 v QQ on JJ3 board, case Q hits the river. 77 v AJ on T74 board, turn and river K J.
One sick cash game, 0.25c/0.50c heads up. This guy hit everything. He was awful. In 90 odd hands out of 650 he showed down, he hit 4 trips, 9 straights, 1 flush and 4 full houses. To be fair, only the straights got me into trouble, but he hit everything.
And I mean everything. KK on a 952 rainbow baord, a pot bet sees his 78 hit the jackpot with a 6 on the turn. In his 9 straights, he flopped one of those v my top pair, and hit FIVE gutshots. What made it worse, is that EACH time he hit - so had I! It wouldn't be so bad if he'd limped his SB, hit the gutshot, and got a dollar or two out of me on the river. No, he'd win $20 each time against my top pair/two pair/monster draw/overpair. And the one time I hit a straight...he hits a runner runner flush. I run JJ into QQ and 99 into TT. I'm finding alot of that at the moment, the deck is pretty ice cold.
But I've read a poker mag, and am feeling optomistic, so am playing the £25 semi-freeze tonight - not had a result there for a while. But Chris' recent run is keeping my losses from being too bad - I'm getting a little bit back after my run! ;)
Reading is happening from Thursday to Sunday, then Vegas in mid March, and Dublin in April. Will be alot of serious poker going on!
We decided to start a 50p/50p NLHE cash game with a few other runners and a certain rich gambler named Mo. My first buy in was cracked by a 3 outer, and then another £60 died by way of a 5 outer, both on the river. So I brought the £100 chip I had in my wallet to the table. About an hour later I'd chipped up to a respectable £215, as Mo was generally playing rather loose and aggressive to put it mildly, with massive over raises, and calling down with anything. We were distinctly moist at the thought of this cash game continuing.
It got to the point where myself and Chris (I'm usually psycho-aggressive, and Chris is rather LAGgy too) are playing weak, tight, passive poker pre-flop. On one occasion I limp for £2 pre-flop (there's been alot of straddling) with KQ. Mo raises to something like £10-20, it's pretty irrelevant, but I call, to see a beautiful QQJ board. I make a small bet, only to be reraised all-in by Mo. The immense relief when I see his AJ is drawing to running Aces or Jacks is overwhelming, and I rake in a £430 odd pot.
The game is sick, we're eventually 4 handed with over £2k on the table, for a 50p/50p game! I've never lost a £250 pot with K8, on an A high board - and not even blinked. I lose a few pots, before getting my chips all-in on the last hand with AK. I reraise Mo half his stack (about £60), he calls, and I push the flop dark, he calls for another £70 or so. He doesn't turn his cards over, so seeing a beautiful Ace of clubs on the turn is a massive relief, a J on the river is irrelevant as he shows QJ. My AK takes the last pot of the night, worth around £250.
Running good continues, a final table Harbour the following weekend for £250 and win the Grosvenor Sunday tournament the following night for £410. UNfortunately, since then, the wheels have come off a bit. Playing a Wednesday cash game in the wrong frame of mind has really killed me, a couple of bad Monday rebuy tournaments has cost me around £400, punctuated by a £160 cash game profit, where again I played pretty badly but got lucky in one key hand, then redeemed myself in monster pots against Seb and Tony.
Having said that, playing terribly, I've still gone deep in 3 recent tournaments I've played, it's taken bad luck to knock me out. AT v KQ, QJ v 96 on a Q65 board are two that come to mind.
I've generally had an awful week of running bad, I've been one outered 3 times this week, 225 board, A2 v K2 v T5, case 5 hits the river. J8 v QQ on JJ3 board, case Q hits the river. 77 v AJ on T74 board, turn and river K J.
One sick cash game, 0.25c/0.50c heads up. This guy hit everything. He was awful. In 90 odd hands out of 650 he showed down, he hit 4 trips, 9 straights, 1 flush and 4 full houses. To be fair, only the straights got me into trouble, but he hit everything.
And I mean everything. KK on a 952 rainbow baord, a pot bet sees his 78 hit the jackpot with a 6 on the turn. In his 9 straights, he flopped one of those v my top pair, and hit FIVE gutshots. What made it worse, is that EACH time he hit - so had I! It wouldn't be so bad if he'd limped his SB, hit the gutshot, and got a dollar or two out of me on the river. No, he'd win $20 each time against my top pair/two pair/monster draw/overpair. And the one time I hit a straight...he hits a runner runner flush. I run JJ into QQ and 99 into TT. I'm finding alot of that at the moment, the deck is pretty ice cold.
But I've read a poker mag, and am feeling optomistic, so am playing the £25 semi-freeze tonight - not had a result there for a while. But Chris' recent run is keeping my losses from being too bad - I'm getting a little bit back after my run! ;)
Reading is happening from Thursday to Sunday, then Vegas in mid March, and Dublin in April. Will be alot of serious poker going on!
Friday 1 February 2008
Whining is good
Should whinge more often. Shortly after posting the below blog, myself, Chris, Tony, Vicky and Andy all headed to Cardiff for the weekend to play the £75 APAT Welsh Amateur Championship. It was a generally successful week, with me first out in around 68th of the 200 odd runners. Kudos for Andy for going so deep, and to Tony for making day 2 and the money spots.
Anyway, like true poker addicts, we packed up around 3:30, and headed back to Southampton...to head straight to the casino's £30 treble chance freeze. Well, not Tony and Andy, because they're lame. Myself and Chris are duly rewarded for turning up 15 minutes late, Hellmuth style, by taking a 1-2, worth £440 to myself for the win. Chris will insist my A7 v his A6 on a KJ9 flop runner runner badbeated him, when it comes 5 4, good luck with that mincing dinosaur man. This is followed by a 2-3 the following evening - the luckiest person in the world dodges multiple bullets to take the win, but my coffers are swelled by another £450. Wednesday is a damp squib, as I run into an awful player who happens to be the card rack for the night.
Sunday stays good though, another 2nd for £200, though I needlessly gave away the chiplead and a £500+ payday 4 handed. Chris makes another final table and takes 6th. I got too aggressive, and ran into the eventual winners AQ after an ill-advised shove from the button. Monday's £10 rebuy made up for that, Chris taking 3rd and another win for myself, for £450.
He's rather narked, that after 5 tournaments, he's taken 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 3rd, and lost our £10 last longer bet each time, including the Wednesday tournament, where neither of us make an impact.
Online cash has been a different matter, no-one seems to be donating to me, not getting into any good spots, combined with a couple of suckouts and a little bit of tilt, I'm running a good $300 down at 25c/50c over the last couple of days. I've played pretty well, but some horrendous suckouts have not helped the cause.
PLHE, 25c/50c
I've chipped up slightly to $65. Pick up QQ UTG and pot raise to $1.75
CO calls.
BUT reraises pot to $7.75
SB folds, BB (monster stack of $160+) flat calls.
I use up my entire time bank, and repot to $33, leaving $18 behind.
Passed to the BB, who uses his timebank, and flatcalls.
Flop T 8 3 rainbow. He puts me all-in, I obviously call, he has 88.
Gimp.
Anyway, all is well following a live cash game - hence the late post. Blinds 10p/20p, a tiddy £110 profit, including "My new favourite Ten-Six play", as said by Mike Perry. Chris blind raises to £1.20, Willis reraises to £5.20, I flat call with T6o on the button. Chris reraises another £18, Willis passes and I shove my £60 stack in. After a good 3 minutes, where I'm absolutely bricking it, and Chris tells me he has an Ace, and he knows I don't have one. After long deliberation (I'm know I'm not in terrible shape) he passes A3, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief!
Anyway, a couple of hands, a few good plays, and it's been a good session. Chris was rather despondent about his cash performance, but you have no need to be mate. We all have bad sessions. You know you're easily good enough, discipline can be improved on. Your words of encouragement helped me over my dry spell, so I'm sure your self-belief will shortly return, as will the results.
If it's any consolation I haven't got a tell on you!
Anyway, like true poker addicts, we packed up around 3:30, and headed back to Southampton...to head straight to the casino's £30 treble chance freeze. Well, not Tony and Andy, because they're lame. Myself and Chris are duly rewarded for turning up 15 minutes late, Hellmuth style, by taking a 1-2, worth £440 to myself for the win. Chris will insist my A7 v his A6 on a KJ9 flop runner runner badbeated him, when it comes 5 4, good luck with that mincing dinosaur man. This is followed by a 2-3 the following evening - the luckiest person in the world dodges multiple bullets to take the win, but my coffers are swelled by another £450. Wednesday is a damp squib, as I run into an awful player who happens to be the card rack for the night.
Sunday stays good though, another 2nd for £200, though I needlessly gave away the chiplead and a £500+ payday 4 handed. Chris makes another final table and takes 6th. I got too aggressive, and ran into the eventual winners AQ after an ill-advised shove from the button. Monday's £10 rebuy made up for that, Chris taking 3rd and another win for myself, for £450.
He's rather narked, that after 5 tournaments, he's taken 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 3rd, and lost our £10 last longer bet each time, including the Wednesday tournament, where neither of us make an impact.
Online cash has been a different matter, no-one seems to be donating to me, not getting into any good spots, combined with a couple of suckouts and a little bit of tilt, I'm running a good $300 down at 25c/50c over the last couple of days. I've played pretty well, but some horrendous suckouts have not helped the cause.
PLHE, 25c/50c
I've chipped up slightly to $65. Pick up QQ UTG and pot raise to $1.75
CO calls.
BUT reraises pot to $7.75
SB folds, BB (monster stack of $160+) flat calls.
I use up my entire time bank, and repot to $33, leaving $18 behind.
Passed to the BB, who uses his timebank, and flatcalls.
Flop T 8 3 rainbow. He puts me all-in, I obviously call, he has 88.
Gimp.
Anyway, all is well following a live cash game - hence the late post. Blinds 10p/20p, a tiddy £110 profit, including "My new favourite Ten-Six play", as said by Mike Perry. Chris blind raises to £1.20, Willis reraises to £5.20, I flat call with T6o on the button. Chris reraises another £18, Willis passes and I shove my £60 stack in. After a good 3 minutes, where I'm absolutely bricking it, and Chris tells me he has an Ace, and he knows I don't have one. After long deliberation (I'm know I'm not in terrible shape) he passes A3, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief!
Anyway, a couple of hands, a few good plays, and it's been a good session. Chris was rather despondent about his cash performance, but you have no need to be mate. We all have bad sessions. You know you're easily good enough, discipline can be improved on. Your words of encouragement helped me over my dry spell, so I'm sure your self-belief will shortly return, as will the results.
If it's any consolation I haven't got a tell on you!
Saturday 5 January 2008
You only sing when you're winning
It's true.
I hate poker, I can't take much more. The last 4 months has been terrible. I'm probably running at nearing £1,500 down. I just seem to be the best player in the world at finding the fish at my table. They just get lucky. I haven't hit a big hand in god knows how long. I've not won more than £160 since September 1st.
I've tried a return to cash games, sticking $550 on Full Tilt. I've employed sensible table selection, using Poker Tracker, and making sure I've got position on any stacks bigger than me if possible. It's done bugger all.
Some hands over just the last 3 weeks - mine in bold:
5h6h(UTG+1) v 55 (BB) on 24K3 board. 56s min raises pre-flop and minimum bets 5 player flop - calls a too small reraise on the flop and hits the gutshot.
KQo (UTG) v 98s (Button) on A56T9 board. My UTG raise and bets are called pre-flop, flop and river.
77 (BB) v 6d2d (HJ) v Kd9c (CO) on Td8d4d board. HJ and CO limp. I overraise from BB, am called by both - it is 1/3 of K9's stack.
Qc3s (BB) v As8s (SB) on Kc Qs Js Ad 8c board. Two aggressive late limpers, SB completes. I overraise from BB, limpers pass, SB calls. He then check calls a 3/4 pot bet on the flop and turn - by this time it's 2/3 of his stack to call. This was a £150 comp!
AsJc (BB) v 3c5c (CO) on Ac Kc 2s board. Blinds 25c/50c HJ raises to $1.75. CO and button call. I reraise to $10, leaving $41 behind. Get called by the CO. I check raise his pot flop bet all-in, his 3c 5c hits the Qc on the turn and I miss the redraw.
In 2 nights of cash game play. I've hit one straight with KJ on a 69TQ board...to split it with KJ. In 200+ hands on Full Tilt, I have just seen this one straight, no flushes, only two trips (neither with pocket pairs, have had 15 of those and not hit one set - add to that 150+ hands on PKR without hitting a single set). I have lost with AK v A4 all-in pre. Hit top two pair, only to run into bottom set. Had JT on 3J4T board only to run into 33, A3 and KK, with a K rivering. Have had AA, QQ and 88 uncalled in a session where around 80-90% of my raises were being called.
I have had KK twice and seen an A high flop both times. The only walk in a 170 hand session saw me holding QQ on the BB. I've bet out with an 8 on 9c 9s 8s 7c board, to be called by 7h 2h which rivers a 7. I've run JJ into AA in heads up play, and a misclick caused me to run A8 into QQ on a blind v blind confrontation, not withstanding he insta-called an all-in on a 3 spade board, holding no spades. I have had a check raise on a 34K flop met with a reshove from A4.
T6 hitting an 865 board, T on the turn, to run into T8 - held by a muppet who'd been the final caller in a 3 way all-in holding Qh6h.
I've raised a single limper from the BB holding JdTd, the flop comes 248 with one diamond. I c-bet flop and turn 8. I am called all streets by the limper. The river is a 7, I check, he checks behind...with Qd5d.
I've overbet the flop with AdJc on 2d6dJs flop, received one check-caller, who pot bets the turn 3d, forcing me to pass. I've held a pair + flush draw, a gutshot + flush draw (twice) and a pair, gutshot + flush draw, and have missed the lot.
Most of the above in just 24 hours. I hate poker so much. APAT next weekend though, am due enough cards to win the tournament!
I hate poker, I can't take much more. The last 4 months has been terrible. I'm probably running at nearing £1,500 down. I just seem to be the best player in the world at finding the fish at my table. They just get lucky. I haven't hit a big hand in god knows how long. I've not won more than £160 since September 1st.
I've tried a return to cash games, sticking $550 on Full Tilt. I've employed sensible table selection, using Poker Tracker, and making sure I've got position on any stacks bigger than me if possible. It's done bugger all.
Some hands over just the last 3 weeks - mine in bold:
5h6h(UTG+1) v 55 (BB) on 24K3 board. 56s min raises pre-flop and minimum bets 5 player flop - calls a too small reraise on the flop and hits the gutshot.
KQo (UTG) v 98s (Button) on A56T9 board. My UTG raise and bets are called pre-flop, flop and river.
77 (BB) v 6d2d (HJ) v Kd9c (CO) on Td8d4d board. HJ and CO limp. I overraise from BB, am called by both - it is 1/3 of K9's stack.
Qc3s (BB) v As8s (SB) on Kc Qs Js Ad 8c board. Two aggressive late limpers, SB completes. I overraise from BB, limpers pass, SB calls. He then check calls a 3/4 pot bet on the flop and turn - by this time it's 2/3 of his stack to call. This was a £150 comp!
AsJc (BB) v 3c5c (CO) on Ac Kc 2s board. Blinds 25c/50c HJ raises to $1.75. CO and button call. I reraise to $10, leaving $41 behind. Get called by the CO. I check raise his pot flop bet all-in, his 3c 5c hits the Qc on the turn and I miss the redraw.
In 2 nights of cash game play. I've hit one straight with KJ on a 69TQ board...to split it with KJ. In 200+ hands on Full Tilt, I have just seen this one straight, no flushes, only two trips (neither with pocket pairs, have had 15 of those and not hit one set - add to that 150+ hands on PKR without hitting a single set). I have lost with AK v A4 all-in pre. Hit top two pair, only to run into bottom set. Had JT on 3J4T board only to run into 33, A3 and KK, with a K rivering. Have had AA, QQ and 88 uncalled in a session where around 80-90% of my raises were being called.
I have had KK twice and seen an A high flop both times. The only walk in a 170 hand session saw me holding QQ on the BB. I've bet out with an 8 on 9c 9s 8s 7c board, to be called by 7h 2h which rivers a 7. I've run JJ into AA in heads up play, and a misclick caused me to run A8 into QQ on a blind v blind confrontation, not withstanding he insta-called an all-in on a 3 spade board, holding no spades. I have had a check raise on a 34K flop met with a reshove from A4.
T6 hitting an 865 board, T on the turn, to run into T8 - held by a muppet who'd been the final caller in a 3 way all-in holding Qh6h.
I've raised a single limper from the BB holding JdTd, the flop comes 248 with one diamond. I c-bet flop and turn 8. I am called all streets by the limper. The river is a 7, I check, he checks behind...with Qd5d.
I've overbet the flop with AdJc on 2d6dJs flop, received one check-caller, who pot bets the turn 3d, forcing me to pass. I've held a pair + flush draw, a gutshot + flush draw (twice) and a pair, gutshot + flush draw, and have missed the lot.
Most of the above in just 24 hours. I hate poker so much. APAT next weekend though, am due enough cards to win the tournament!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)